FAQ Section for Mentees

After signing up, you’ll start the matching process on our platform. You’ll receive three suggestions, choose one, and your mentor will have 72 hours to accept.

Three suggestions—but what if none of them work?

You can reject all three and restart the process. Before doing so, it’s a good idea to refine your profile, as specific goals and a clear topic of interest will improve the results. Profiles you’ve rejected won’t appear again. Support: matching@mentorme-ngo.org

How long does the matching process take?

This can happen very quickly. Some mentees are already in contact with their mentor just a few hours after signing up. The key is to stay proactive. If a request is declined, don’t let it discourage you. Our mentors are volunteers and are sometimes simply on vacation or sick. We’re here to help: matching@mentorme-ngo.org

“My mentor is great. It’s unbelievable how well we click. — Brigitte L.”

Mentoring is advice and exchange on professional issues from an experienced person (mentor) to an inexperienced person (the mentee). Der*die Mentor*in gibt berufliche Erfahrungen, fachliches Wissen und auch Kontakte weiter und steht als Sparringspartner*in zur Verfügung. ENTSCHEIDEND: Der*die Mentor*in hat mehr Erfahrung und Wissen in einem Beruf oder einer Branche als du. Im Unterschied dazu berät ein Coach nicht, sondern arbeitet mit Methoden und Fragestellungen.

A mentor doesn’t have to be older or have studied the same subject. What matters most is their experience and knowledge. It’s your job to organize regular meetings and reach out to your mentor.

Mentoring does not replace psychological advice.

All of our mentees love the flexibility that MentorMe offers: You decide for yourself how much time you want to dedicate to our program. Once a month, you’ll meet with your mentor online for an hour. To get the most out of the session, you should, of course, set aside some time for preparation and follow-up.

When it comes to our events and training sessions, the motto is: Everything is optional—nothing is required! Just check our event calendar each month and sign up for the events that interest you. Many events are recorded, so you’ll also receive a recording that you can watch later if you can’t make it live. MentorMe adapts to your life!

We know that you’re all in very different financial situations. That’s why MentorMe offers a plan to suit every budget.

Registration is free. After you register, you’ll fill out your profile on our matching platform, start the matching process, and find out which mentors or coaches are a good fit for you and your goals. If you then decide to start working with a mentor, you’ll pay the mentee fee. This fee is €834. We offer a discounted rate of €634 for people with a gross income below €1,900, for people who have previously been mentees with us (alumni), and for our mentors.

The price includes monthly one-on-one mentoring sessions, access to all our events and training sessions, as well as our community groups. The subscription runs from the date of your registration through October 31, 2027. You can find more information here.

Our more than 5,500 mentors all have at least 5 years of professional experience in fields such as entrepreneurship, consulting, NGOs, human resources, the cultural sector, coaching, and many others. They come from companies such as Audi, EY, KPMG, Google, Siemens, SAP, Zalando, Lufthansa, Allianz, ING, and many more.

“My mentor is someone who sees more and different things in me than I do myself—that really helps me broaden my own perspective.” — Samira F.

Yes. You decide who you want to start your mentoring program with. On our matching platform, we suggest various mentors to you. You can view their profiles and also have the option to decline suggestions to see new experts.

It’s not uncommon to try a second or third time, and often that’s exactly what leads to the best match. The best way:

Reject all three → Refine your profile (optional) → Restart the process. Profiles you’ve rejected won’t appear again. For support, contact matching@mentorme-ngo.org

“When things finally clicked with my mentor and we found a way to work together—that was my highlight. —Christine D.”

You’ll meet once a month for an hour. That’s your guaranteed time.
Additional meetings are possible if both of you want them.

Sometimes you can tell right from the first conversation: This isn’t a good fit. The sooner you get in touch, the more of the program year you’ll have left. You don’t have to wait until a spot opens up. Get in touch right away: matching@mentorme-ngo.org. If you’re unhappy with your mentor, we recommend taking the following steps:

• Open Communication: Start by talking directly with your mentor about your concerns. Sometimes misunderstandings can be cleared up through an honest conversation.
• Contact MentorMe Community Management: If you feel that the match isn’t a good fit, please contact our Community Management team as soon as possible at matching@mentorme-ngo.org. MentorMe places great importance on ensuring that you feel safe and well-supported in your mentoring relationship. If your current match isn’t ideal, we’ll work together to find a solution. The team can end the match and start a new matching process.
  

If you continue to experience difficulties, we’re also here to support you with our mediators.

Yes, and that’s perfectly fine. A mentoring team only works if the chemistry is right. Contact community@mentorme-ngo.org. We’ll cancel the match, and you can start the process over.

The sooner you sign up, the more time you’ll have for a successful mentoring year.

There is no such thing as a “typical” mentee! Any woman who wants to grow and develop can become a mentee. Our mentees come from all fields of study, industries, professions, social backgrounds, and age groups (mostly between 25 and 60).

“If you want to do something good for yourself and get a year’s worth of input on various levels to support your personal growth—then sign up for MentorMe. — Sandra S.”

In addition to your one-on-one mentoring, we offer a comprehensive program of events, training, and networking, as well as a large community for mentees and mentors.

After the match, you’ll be invited to join our community groups. We’re also planning another low-barrier community channel—stay tuned!

Coaching Circle – exclusively for returning mentees

Starting in January 2027, the Coaching Circle awaits you: six professionally facilitated group coaching sessions in a fixed small group of no more than 10 people. This program is already included in your registration and is open to all mentees who have participated in the mentoring program for at least one program year.

Most MentorMe digital events are recorded. Exceptions: networking events and purely interactive formats. The recording will be emailed to all registered participants. You have 7 days to watch it.

Yes. Your mentoring role ends automatically at the end of the program year. You don’t need to actively cancel it. We’ll notify all mentors when the match is dissolved.

• You’ll lose access to mentoring, events, and training.
• You’ll remain a member of the community groups on LinkedIn.
• As a returning mentee, you’ll benefit from a reduced mentee fee and access to the Coaching Circle next time.

Many mentees describe the end of the program year as the starting point for the next chapter. We’d love to have you back.

“Being able to grow, finding new paths that weren’t there before—what a gift to myself — Silke A.”

We have many mentors who are entrepreneurs or management consultants and have extensive experience in business development.

Yes! Once you’ve registered, you can join our Family Community! Here you’ll find discussions on all the topics that matter to you, and there are regular events on topics like work-life balance and more.

The mentee fee consists of various components, such as matching, training, and events. Whether and to what extent these costs can be claimed for tax purposes depends on your individual situation (e.g., whether you are an employee or self-employed). Please check with your tax advisor or the relevant tax office.

The Coaching Circle is an exclusive program for returning mentees, offered in addition to one-on-one mentoring.

• 6 guided group coaching sessions per program year
• Small group of up to 10 people, led by a professional guide
• Start January 2027
• Included in your registration; no extra charge

You are eligible if you have been a mentee for at least one program year. Simply re-register between August and mid-November 2026, and you will automatically receive your invitation in October.

We’ll send you the Mentoring Guide via email after you’ve been matched with your mentor.

He will guide you through your mentoring year: from the first session through the midpoint to the joint conclusion. With specific questions, methods, and ideas.

Even the very best match isn’t a guarantee that you’ll move forward. As a mentee, you set the pace.

One mentoring session per month is the standard. Come to your first session with a clear topic or three goals you’d like to achieve this year. If, after two or three sessions, you feel like it’s not a good fit, please contact us at community@mentorme-ngo.org

“It’s just great to have a set time each month to focus solely on my professional development. — Tamara W.”

As a social enterprise, we want everyone who is interested to be able to participate. Please send us a confidential email at mail@mentorme-ngo.org. Together, we’ll find a way.

The MentorMe program year runs through October 31, 2027. You can join at any time during the program year. We have many available mentors in our pool throughout the year. We take a short break from matching only in July. After that, we’ll open the next round in the fall of 2027.